Abbie Betinis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abbie Betinis
Background information
Born	(1980-01-21) January 21, 1980 (age 45) Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Occupation(s)	Composer
Years active	2001 – present

Abbie Betinis (born January 21, 1980) is an American composer. She writes music for many different groups. She is especially known for her choral music, which is music for choirs, and other vocal works.

Early Life and Learning

Abbie Betinis was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She started learning piano and ear training at age 4. She used the Suzuki method, which is a way of teaching music.

Abbie was the top student in her high school class. She went to St. Olaf College on a piano scholarship. During her second year, she faced a serious health challenge. This experience led her to change her studies. She decided to focus on music composition and linguistics. She graduated in 2001.

Later, she earned a master's degree in music composition. This was from the University of Minnesota. She also studied music in Paris, France. Her teachers included Mary Ellen Childs and Judith Lang Zaimont.

Her Music Career

People have described Abbie Betinis's music in many ways. The New York Times called it "inventive [and] richly melodic." The Boston Globe said it was "bold" and "cathartic." Her music is known for being interesting and beautiful.

Abbie has written over sixty pieces of music for different groups. These include the American Choral Directors Association and Cantus. She also wrote music for The Rose Ensemble and The Schubert Club.

She has become a very important voice in American choral music. Abbie chooses meaningful words for her songs. She sets them in a unique and easy-to-understand style. She even uses unusual sounds in her vocal music. These can include yodeling, whistling, and other special vocal techniques.

Abbie Betinis's music is published by several companies. These include Augsburg Fortress and G. Schirmer. In 2006, she started her own company, Abbie Betinis Music Co.. This helps her share her music around the world.

Abbie is also part of a special family tradition. Her great-uncle, Alfred Burt, was famous for Christmas carols. Abbie is the third generation in her family to write a new carol each year. She sends it to family and friends as a Christmas card. These new carols have been played on Minnesota Public Radio since 2001.

What Inspires Her

Abbie Betinis has overcome cancer three times. She says this experience has greatly influenced her music. It has helped shape the themes and feelings in her compositions.

Awards and Recognition

Abbie Betinis has received many awards for her work. She is a two-time McKnight Artist Fellow. This is a special award for artists. She has also received grants from groups like the American Composers Forum.

Her song cycle Nattsanger (Nightsongs) won an honorable mention. This was from the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Abbie and another composer, Dominick Argento, were featured in a 2009 TV show. The show was called "Never Stop Singing." It looked at the tradition of choral music in Minnesota.

Her Life Today

Abbie Betinis lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is the Composer-in-Residence at The Schubert Club. She also teaches composition at Concordia University.

Discography

• "Bar xizam (Upward I Rise)" — Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) 2014, University Of Texas At Arlington A Cappella Choir. Mark Records, 2014.
• "Cedit, Hyems (Be Gone, Winter!)" — Eternal Light, East Carolina University Chamber Singers. Gothic, 2010
• "Chant for Great Compassion" — No Whining, No Flowers, Cornell University Chorus, 2012.
• "Clan of the Lichens, The" — If this world could stop, Lindsay Kesselman, Christopher James Lees. Bad Wolff Music, 2014
• "From Behind the Caravan: Songs of Hâfez" — Inspirata, Ensemble Laude, 2011
• "In the Bleak Midwinter" — Candlelight Carols: Music for Chorus and Harp, Seraphic Fire. Seraphic Fire Media, 2014
• "Jerusalem Luminosa" — Transcendent Voices, Tucson Girls Chorus, 2012
• "Long Time Trav'ling" — At the River, The Singers - Minnesota Choral Artists, 2013
• "Nattsanger (Nightsongs) "— Bright Angel: American Works for Clarinet and Piano, Lindsay Kesselman, Midori Koga, Kimberly Cole Luevano. Fleur de Son Classics, 2013
• "Songs of Smaller Creatures" — Songs of Smaller Creatures and Other American Choral Works, Grant Park Chorus. Cedille, 2012
• "To the Evening Star" — Into the Night: Contemporary Choral Music, Vox Humana. Naxos, 2013